Pneumatic car-step.



W. F. WEATHERLY.

PNEUMATIC CAR. STEP.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.111, 1911 1,012,773. Patented 111511 26, 19113111 0111015 W Z i r l t t a STATES PATENT OFFICE;

WILLIAMIRANKLIN WEATHERLY, OF CAMPBELL, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO A. W. CAGLE, OF CAMPBELL, MISSOURI.

PNEUMATIC CAR-STEP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

Application filed March 31, 1 911. Serial No. 618.237.

Ioall whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, VILLTAH I lVnvrn- ERLY, a citizen of the. UnitedStates. residing at Campbell, in the county ot Dunklin and State ofh'lissouri, have invented certain new and useful lll'llll'OVttlltllt5 inPneumatic Car-Steps of which the ir'ollowin g is a specification.

My invention has relation to new and useful imprm'ements in msscnrer-car step extensions and the main object thereot is to produce anextension of this nature which is pneumatically operated.

' A :further object of my invention is to produce a pneumatic car stepthat will be efficient in operation, durable and one which .may beinexpensive to install.

A further object of my invention is to ;prm ide an extension put-lunatic.car step ;that;may be extended or contracted by the operation of thesame hand wheel. and l provide-means whereby it is possi le for theLsteps'to be expanded and contracted by the same: hand wheel.

Twit-l1 the'foregoing and other objects in view my invention consists ofthe novel construction, combination and arrangement- ,ofparts as aredescrdied' in this spetatication illustrated in the accom muviurdrawings forming a part thcr ot' and particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

:Reference being had to the drawings: Figure-1 iS a partial, vertical.sectional view of-one end of a. car to which my invention has beenapplied. Fig. 9 is a. perspective View of my invention, parts beingindicated by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a horizontal, sectional viewshowing in detail. on an eir larged scale, the type of valve employed atthe forward end of the air pipe 19.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like numeralsdesignate like parts throughout, my invention is described as follows.

The permanent or stationary steps I are provided at their lowerextremity with the step or steps 2 which are non-perumnent, they beingadapted to be either extended or contracted as is necessary. The riser 3of the step or steps 2 is hingedly connected to the forward edge oft-hebot-toin'step 4 01' the permanent steps 1, said riser, of course,extendipg vertically when the steps are in extended positio Each tread 5of the step or steps 2 is hii igedly connected to' the lower steam.

edge of its respective riser 3 and extends in a horizontal position whenthe steps are extended as illustrated in Fig. 2. Secured t0 each end ofthe lowest toldable step is a, rod (1. which extends slantingly .upward'0 thcretrom in parallel relation to tl e edges 7 of the outer side 8 ofthe permanentsteps I. Said rods 6 are slidably held in position torespective sides of the permanent steps 1 by means of brackets 9 whichbrackets are seeured in. position by any suitable means.----- Connected"to the upper end of each rod 6 and traveling upon a respective roller 10rotat'ably mounted to its corresponding side of the permanent steps 1is-a. chain 11. Sewcured to the otherend of each chain by suitable meansare respective ends of a T-rod 12 which ends 13 are bent forwardly atright angles to the main portion 14 thereof in order to meet the ends oftheir respective chains 11. The other extension 15 of the T.-- rodextends into a cylinder to which-islm' -cated exactly in the rear of thepermanentv steps. piston head 17 is provided at. the inner-cud of theextension 15. so lCxtemling from each end of the cylinder tt' and incouununication therewith are pipes 18 and 18'. each of said pipesextendv in; inwardly at their opposite ends and communi ating with theair pipe 1 Said air pipe 1! is provided within with a valve ii saidvalve 20 having provided therein ducts 9t and 22. llxtending fromthe-rea1 end of the valve and held in connection therewith by means ofbrackets 23 is a rod 90 2-1. the opposite extremity of saidrod 2-1 beingwithout the air pipe 1! and being provided with a hand wheel 95.heretofore mentiofied.

It may be here stated that steam may be. employed, if desired. in lieuof air. but as air is more commonly employed for the' operation ofbrakes or the like and it may be conveniently communicated to theapparatus of this invention. it is preferable that air be employed forthe foregoing reasons and also in View oi the fact that it is felt thatair will givebetter satisfaction than V The meltns of permitting the airto enter the cylinder 16 will now be described': It. will be Hnderstoodthat the a ati al l times present. in the air pipe til undereomp'ession', and thus it will beseen that when i is desired tocontractdhe steps 2 the hand wheel is turned so that the pipe 18' willbe the air pipe 19 by means of the duct 21. Simultaneously the pipe 18will be in communication with the atmosphere by means of the duct 22 andsaid port 26. Thus the air will be allowed to enter the cylinder 16 onthe opposite sideof the piston head,

17 which action will force the steps into extended position, asillustrated in Fig. 2, and they will be held in such position until itis desired to place them in contracted position as above explained.

When steam is employed in lieu of air the operation of the device willremain the same, and therefore it is not deemed necessary to dwell uponthis feature. of the invention more than simply to mention it as' afact, it bein further thought that the constructionan operation of theinvention will be fully lmderstood by any person skilled in the artwithout amore extended explanation. However, I reservethe right to makesuch changes in the construction of my invention as will not depart fromthe spirit thereof or the scope of theclaims hereunto appended.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent,is:

:1. In a neumatic car step comprising a plurality o permanent steps, afoldable step or plurality of steps hingedly connected to the forwardedge of the lowest step, said foldable step'or ste s adapted to beexpanded or .contracte asdesired, means to expand onontract said step orsteps consisting of one rodjsecured to each end edge of the tread of thelgwest step and extending slantinglvupward in parallel relation to the.edges of the sides of the permanent steps, said rods being-slidablysecured to their respective sides of the permanent steps, means topneumatically draw the rods upward comprising an'air cylinder and pistonhead, to which piston head'is secured an extension, and means ofconnection between the extension and each of said rods.

. 2. In a pneumatic car step comprising a plurality of permanent steps,a foldable stepor plurality of steps hingedly connected to the forwardedge of the lowest step, said foldable step or steps adapted to beexpanded or contracted as desired, means to expand or contract said stepor steps consisting of one rod secured to each end edge of the tread ofthe lowest step and extending slantingly upward in parallel relation tothe edges of the sides of the permanent steps, said rods being slidablysecured to their respective sides of the permanent.

steps,'means to'pneumatically draw the rods upward consisting of an aircylinder, a piston head provided therein,.an extension extending fromsaid piston head forwardly and reciprocating within the cylinder, withmeans to communicate air to the desired endof said cylinder, from theair pipe of the car comprising a pair of pipes and means to control thecourse of the air from the air pipe into the cylinder, saidlast-mentioned means comprising a valve, which valve provides acontinuous means of communication between the air pipe and said cylinderby means of either of said pipes and commu-' nication between thecyllnder and the at mosphere by means of the opposite pipe and a portprovided at the end of said air pipe and means of connection between theforward end of said extension and the upper end of each of saidrods,substantially as shown.

' In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.WILLIAM FRANKLIN WEATHERLY.

. Witnesses:

J. E. Crmvnr, Jr., R. J. SMITH.

